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"Who knows, you may be helping convert a future elder in the Lord's church!" |
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"Just yesterday my good Jewish friend, Harold Pearl, was appointed as an elder in the Lord's church. I'll never forget the day that I baptized Harold into Christ, some 15 years ago. He walked to the front pew as we sang the invitation hymn. The invitation concluded, and I asked Harold to confess his faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Harold stood before the audience, and in a confession more memorable than any I have ever heard, this 25 year old Jewish man exclaimed, "Yes, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the only begotten son of God"! Even now, shivers run up and down my spine as I again visualize this young Jew confessing Jesus as his Messiah.
What a confession! And what a pleasure to immerse Harold. Harold's wife Yvonne, had preceded him in baptism by several months. In fact, once a Christian, she had very quietly and meekly helped point Harold to Christ. The Pearl's two teenage sons are now New Testament Christians, too. Friendship Evangelism reaches Jews and Gentiles alike. During our 16 year ministry, it has been my pleasure to assist three Jewish believers in their new birth, as well as scores of Gentile believers. There have been rich and poor; black, brown and white; high school drop-outs and college graduates. Friendships break down social, economic, ethnic and even religious walls. Walls of prejudice, mistrust, ignorance and bias will crumble, thereby giving us a chance to present pure, simple, unadulterated Christianity if we will patiently, tenderly, non-manipulatively cultivate friendships with non-Christians. How many non-Christian friends do you have? Will you write down the names of five of your non-Christian friends that you'd like to share Jesus with?
Now will you vow to do something significant to share Jesus with them? Begin today to pray for two of those friends every day. Prayerfully, select two of the five and really focus on them. Ask your spouse or another close friend to begin praying for the same two friends. Write the non-Christian friend a "friendship note". Compliment them. Invite them into your home at the same time you've invited several of your Christian friends over. Invite them over to help you with a project; or better yet, offer to help them with a project around their house or apartment. Ask for wisdom to know when your friend will be receptive, and then invite him or her to attend church with you. Who knows, you may be helping convert a future elder in the Lord's church! The Pearls have become pillars in the church. Yvonne is there for every needed task. Harold has served on or headed about every church committee. He even served as our church treasurer for awhile. (How's that... a real Jewish treasurer? I worked with one! He wrote my paycheck.) The Pearls are grounded, capable, mature leaders. Be a friend to those who are different from you. Will you, like Paul, make a conscious effort to "become all things to all men" that by all means you might save some? (I Cor. 9:22)
Post Script by Harold Pearl -- "After reading Dan's article, I asked him to make one additional point. Being Jewish, I never read the New Testament. For me, the turning point came as I began reading the New Testament. If you can only persuade your non-Christian friends -- Jew or Gentile -- to read the New Testament, their journey to the new birth will be much quicker." 1 Dan Cooper's article was published in Church Growth 5 (July - September, 1990): 10.
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